AbacusA serendipitous sighting southeast of Kyoto revealed a pinkish purple patch in the distance. As we approached, the vibrant colors of the rows and rows of meticulously groomed cherry trees resembled a giant abacus, each tree a single bead in the aerial tableau. When you add it all up, it becomes the perfect abacus.

When you add it all up

The chock-a-block colors

I spotted a small sunlit meadow nestled deep within the stands

I flew to Japan specifically to capture their ephemeral beauty from the sky

and sizes below mirrored the iconic painting in a way that felt both surreal and grounded

standing tall and proud

seasoned veterans of this route

and the image essentially titled itself

One beautiful morning in May

seemingly indifferent to the battle unfolding around it

it was an award-winning treat to capture the fanfare and symmetry from fifteen hundred feet

they had never before seen the tree